Research and Collections
Kayla Zehner, OMC Collections Manager and Archivist
As OMC Collections Manager/Archivist, Kayla Zehner manages the museum’s all-taxa biodiversity inventory collection of over 120,000 specimens collected from southeastern Ohio. Kayla holds a Masters degree in Arts Administration specializing in Museum Studies, and previously interned in OMC’s Outdoor Museum. In Fall of 2022, Kayla participated in relocating the natural history collection into its present laboratory, and she oversees the collections digitization effort as well as liaising with researchers, exhibitions and education staff.
Jorge Castillo, OMC Collections Imaging Expert
Jorge Castillo (he/him) is an environmental visual communicator from Ecuador pursuing an MFA in Communication Media Arts at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. Jorge works in collaboration with the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab to create innovative ways to use emerging technologies, such as VR/ AR / XR and AI, for environmental education and conservation.
As Collections Imaging Expert at the OHIO Museum Complex, Jorge uses photogrammetry (a process of capturing photographs to create accurate 3D models of animals and environments) to create an accessible virtual collection, allowing scientists and the general public alike to learn more about Ohio animals and ecosystems.
Mackenzie Tyson, OMC Collections Digitization Intern
Working at the OMC has given me invaluable insight into the world of research and collections. Not only am I able to play a role in the movement of a complete specimen collection but the OMC has allowed me to combine my interests of art and science in a real-world setting. From entering decades worth of data to documenting the relocation of the Crane Hollow Specimen Collection to even photographing individual specimens with a specialized camera, the OMC has offered me experiences that not only help expand my knowledge as a scientist but also build my skills as a photographer.